Theme – AndroidSPINhttps://androidspin.com
Google Android News, Phones and Tablets, Software and hardware reviews and moreSun, 18 Mar 2018 04:36:54 +0000en-UShourly1Sony’s Concept for Android could mean stock Android UI for Xperia devices soonhttps://androidspin.com/sonys-concept-for-android-could-mean-stock-android-ui-for-xperia-devices-soon/
https://androidspin.com/sonys-concept-for-android-could-mean-stock-android-ui-for-xperia-devices-soon/#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 03:24:45 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=166274Avid Android fans are always clamouring for devices to use more stockÂ Android-oriented user interfaces, and on this occasion, it appears Sony is listening. Sony, like many other manufacturers, theme theÂ UI on their mobile devices to add to their branding, much at the behest of Android’s most loyal. However, withÂ Sony’s Concept for Android program, the manufacturer […]

Avid Android fans are always clamouring for devices to use more stockÂ Android-oriented user interfaces, and on this occasion, it appears Sony is listening. Sony, like many other manufacturers, theme theÂ UI on their mobile devices to add to their branding, much at the behest of Android’s most loyal. However, withÂ Sony’s Concept for Android program, the manufacturer is looking at a new UI with a “stripped back, vanilla Android look and feel”, presumably one day destined for its Xperia devices – and we have to say, we like what we see. CheckÂ it out in greater detail below:

Xperia device owners: don’t get too excited just yet. Sony has only just started testing the new UI, asking forÂ the help of 500 Xperia Z3 users in Sweden to not only test the UI itself, but also as a way for Sony to gauge how useful this kind of initiative is for future developments. If you are an Xperia Z3 owner in Sweden, there’s still time to sign up to try this out – all you have to do is sign up through this site. We like this direction that Sony is taking and we hope more manufacturers start to take this more proactive approach of engaging with their customers on contentious issues.

What do you think aboutÂ Sony’s Concept for Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>https://androidspin.com/sonys-concept-for-android-could-mean-stock-android-ui-for-xperia-devices-soon/feed/3Material stock Android themes coming to Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge soonhttps://androidspin.com/material-stock-android-themes-coming-to-galaxy-s6-and-s6-edge-soon/
https://androidspin.com/material-stock-android-themes-coming-to-galaxy-s6-and-s6-edge-soon/#respondWed, 17 Jun 2015 16:58:46 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=165167The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are pretty fantastic devices. many of the Samsung haters are even taking a second look at this years line-up and considering it since they toned down the bloatware and made TouchWiz not so terrible. One aspect of the line-up that wasn’t present on previous versions is custom themes. […]

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are pretty fantastic devices. many of the Samsung haters are even taking a second look at this years line-up and considering it since they toned down the bloatware and made TouchWiz not so terrible. One aspect of the line-up that wasn’t present on previous versions is custom themes. They aren’t as easily created and distributed as say, Cyanogen or MIUI themes, but they are on par with Sony in terms of quality control and direct distribution. When I snagged my S6 it was the first place I looked to change the entire look and feel of the device without root and a custom ROM installed. However, many of the themes just take things a little to far for my taste. Even the Avenger themes are a bit too much for me. It would now appear that a new set of themes more tailored to what an Android enthusiast might go for are on the way.

XDA Developer cambunch announced on his XDA thread that he has been acceptedÂ as a Samsung Theme Designer and both the Material Design stock Android look in dark and in light, will be making their way to the Samsung Theme Store soon. That means that any day now they should be available for all owners to quickly install to their device. The two themes might seem simple, or seem more like a no brainer offer, to many. For those out there that don’t want to get armpits deep in rooting, flashing and playing around, these two new additions will bring a more stock look and feel to your eye balls. Hopefully Samsung will give themers a little more control with additional assets in the future, but for now, this is better than nothing.

]]>https://androidspin.com/material-stock-android-themes-coming-to-galaxy-s6-and-s6-edge-soon/feed/0Sony finally brings Theme Creator Beta to life allowing you to tailer 300+ assets to build your own themeshttps://androidspin.com/sony-finally-brings-theme-creator-beta-to-life-allowing-you-to-tailer-300-assets-to-build-your-own-themes/
https://androidspin.com/sony-finally-brings-theme-creator-beta-to-life-allowing-you-to-tailer-300-assets-to-build-your-own-themes/#respondTue, 03 Mar 2015 05:13:37 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=162216Sony has been working on a Theme CreatorÂ for quite some time. When word of it first came about I was pretty excited. Unfortunately the ability to build those Xperia themes was limited to specific theme partners. It wasn’t all bad, there we a number of first run themes that were pretty cool. However, none of […]

Sony has been working on a Theme CreatorÂ for quite some time. When word of it first came about I was pretty excited. Unfortunately the ability to build those Xperia themes was limited to specific theme partners. It wasn’t all bad, there we a number of first run themes that were pretty cool. However, none of them really fit my personal desires. That is changing as of today though as Sony has announced, and released, the Sony Theme Creator Beta app for all aspiring theme designers or those looking for a specific look for your device but can’t find it.

The Theme Creator Beta will allow you to alter over 300 assets such as the menu colors, wallpapers, icons, accent colors, navigation buttons and colors and plenty more. You can even preview your build as you are creating it to fine tune it before building the installable APK. Yes, once you get your theme how YOU want it, Theme Creator will let you build out the APK to be installed. Sony even includes a few Photoshop templates to help get you off the ground.

While the Theme Creator is geared towards designers and such, the average person with some moderate computer skills can feasibly hop in the creator and pump out something pretty great. To get started you will want to head over to Sony’s Theme Creator page and downloadÂ installer.

]]>https://androidspin.com/sony-finally-brings-theme-creator-beta-to-life-allowing-you-to-tailer-300-assets-to-build-your-own-themes/feed/0Could Samsung’s TouchWiz themes actually exist? More photo evidence surfaces todayhttps://androidspin.com/samsungs-touchwiz-themes-actually-exist-photo-evidence-surfaces-today/
https://androidspin.com/samsungs-touchwiz-themes-actually-exist-photo-evidence-surfaces-today/#commentsMon, 01 Dec 2014 11:57:43 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=158389Last week it was leaked that Samsung could be looking at a way to theme its normally stoic TouchWiz UI. While the leak in question was questionable at best, it was still an interesting idea to consider what suchÂ TouchWiz themes would entail. As it turns out, that leak might have been right as a separate […]

Last week it was leaked that Samsung could be looking at a way to theme its normally stoic TouchWiz UI. While the leak in question was questionable at best, it was still an interesting idea to consider what suchÂ TouchWiz themes would entail. As it turns out, that leak might have been right as a separate leak today has shown more evidence ofÂ TouchWiz themes existing. The above image shows the homescreen launcher menu which shows the very normal options of wallpapers, widgets and home screen settings, but also includes the elusive “Themes” option. And to make the case even stronger, the above image was accompanied by the following image:

As you can see, there are five theme options to choose from, each giving the TouchWiz UIÂ some graphical differences. Seeing as these themes appear to change the icons in the dock, we can only assume that this theming extends to all of Samsung’s native OEM apps, though it may be a bit much to ask for the theme to also apply to downloaded apps. Still, it’s interesting to see what could come to pass in the Samsung ecosystem as some would say that it is well overdue for some overhauling.

What do you think about these TouchWiz themes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>https://androidspin.com/samsungs-touchwiz-themes-actually-exist-photo-evidence-surfaces-today/feed/3Could Samsung be cooking up TouchWiz themes for a future release?https://androidspin.com/samsung-cooking-touchwiz-themes-future-release/
https://androidspin.com/samsung-cooking-touchwiz-themes-future-release/#commentsTue, 25 Nov 2014 10:15:30 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=158265It’s probably a fair statement to say that Samsung‘s TouchWiz UI polarizes the Android community. Some love it, some don’t, but one thing is for sure: it doesn’t look like Samsung is getting rid of it any time soon. A rumour from HDBlog.it, however, suggests that while TouchWiz isn’t going anywhere, the Korean manufacturer could […]

It’s probably a fair statement to say that Samsung‘s TouchWiz UI polarizes the Android community. Some love it, some don’t, but one thing is for sure: it doesn’t look like Samsung is getting rid of it any time soon. A rumour from HDBlog.it, however, suggests that while TouchWiz isn’t going anywhere, the Korean manufacturer could be warming to the idea of allowing TouchWiz themes, much like those offered by Sony with the Xperia Themes. This is what is allegedly shown in the image above, though it’s hard not to take this news with a grain of salt as the authenticity of the image cannot be confirmed.

The rumour goes on to say that these TouchWiz themes could be made available to devices very soon, possibly allowing for customization of things generally done with custom launchers like icons, menus, etc. For many, this could be the breakthrough they’ve been hoping for seeing how rigid Samsung has been with its user experience, but we’ll have to see if this rumour holds any water before we get too excited.

What do you think about the possible introduction of TouchWiz themes on Samsung devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

]]>https://androidspin.com/samsung-cooking-touchwiz-themes-future-release/feed/3Get a little Android L look and feel on your Xperia device with the L Theme from Candl Designhttps://androidspin.com/get-little-android-l-look-xperia-device-l-theme/
https://androidspin.com/get-little-android-l-look-xperia-device-l-theme/#respondWed, 09 Jul 2014 22:07:04 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=152276Android L is all the rage. We all want the Material Design look and feel today, not this fall. For many, this fall doesn’t mean a thing since we know carriers and OEM’s tend to be much further behind than Google. That doesn’t mean you can’t have bits and pieces of the what Android L […]

Android L is all the rage. We all want the Material Design look and feel today, not this fall. For many, this fall doesn’t mean a thing since we know carriers and OEM’s tend to be much further behind than Google. That doesn’t mean you can’t have bits and pieces of the what Android L looks like, minus the fancy little animations of course. If you happen to own an Xperia device then you are in luck. Candl Design recently released a theme specifically for us to use with the Xperia theme engine on our devices.

The basic theme is free and gives you a few changes like the softkey changes at the bottom. The images above are from the basic free version of the theme. Where as the image below are of the paid version ($0.99). You can quickly see a number of changes like how the folders look, the radio button colors/looks and the slide out in the app drawer.

If you are on Android 4.4+ you are all set, install the theme from the Play Store and then head to Settings > Personalization > Xperia themes and check the box. However, if you are on Android 4.3 you will need root and Supermod. Links to both version are provided below.

]]>https://androidspin.com/get-little-android-l-look-xperia-device-l-theme/feed/0Project Moonshine comes to life as the Project Hera Launcher Themehttps://androidspin.com/project-moonshine-come-life-project-hera-launcher-theme/
https://androidspin.com/project-moonshine-come-life-project-hera-launcher-theme/#respondWed, 16 Apr 2014 01:48:48 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=146959A few days ago, we heard about a certain rumoured ‘Project Moonshine’ that is apparently currently in development and will result in a Google core apps icon makeover. The icons partly appear to be more in line with the web versions of their icons, however are sufficiently different to be identified as the mobile versions. […]

A few days ago, we heard about a certain rumoured ‘Project Moonshine’ that is apparently currently in development and will result in a Google core apps icon makeover. The icons partly appear to be more in line with the web versions of their icons, however are sufficiently different to be identified as the mobile versions. While there has been no solid evidence to suggest when (or if) these new icons will come into force, Brian Roberts’ new theme, the Project Hera Launcher Theme, will give you a taste of what Project Moonshine might look on your device now.

The Project Hera Launcher Theme is launching with a mere 60 icons, though these are mostly the core Google apps, as well as custom designed wallpapers and widgets. This is probably your best bet at seeing what the Moonshine icons will look like on your device, so if you’re interested, the theme is having an introductory sale for $1 only (Play Store links are below).

What do you think about the look of Project Moonshine? Are you going to pick up the Project Hera Launcher Theme and give it a try? Let us know how you find it in the comments.

]]>https://androidspin.com/project-moonshine-come-life-project-hera-launcher-theme/feed/0Resizing Matters: Themer app update introduces dynamic icon Scalinghttps://androidspin.com/resizing-matters-themer-app-update-introduces-dynamic-icon-scaling/
https://androidspin.com/resizing-matters-themer-app-update-introduces-dynamic-icon-scaling/#commentsTue, 15 Apr 2014 00:06:05 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=146911Themer by MyColorScreen is a particular favourite among customization enthusiasts ever since its debut; Android has always been lauded for its customization capabilities, but the Themer app takes those capabilities and gives them steroids. And despite still only being in beta, the app has already been downloaded over 1 million times. Today, there is a […]

Themer by MyColorScreen is a particular favourite among customization enthusiasts ever since its debut; Android has always been lauded for its customization capabilities, but the Themer app takes those capabilities and gives them steroids. And despite still only being in beta, the app has already been downloaded over 1 million times. Today, there is a Themer app update rolling out that’s going to make a lot of people happy since it is introducing dynamic icon scaling.

Changing your launcher grid-size in Themer has always been a double-edged sword; while you do increase your workspace, this often affects the scaling of your icons, sometimes ruining them altogether. The update to Themer is going to eliminate this inconvenience by adding some magic that will allow your icons to be resized correctly when you move them to your homescreen.

The full changelog for the new update:

1.44 (4/14/2014)

-Icons will now auto-resize to regular size for most themes when dragged from the app drawer to the homescreen. No more tiny icons.

-Improvements to pinch and two finger swipe gestures.

-Media Utilities updates ported to Themer Music widgets

-Other minor bug fixes.

A pretty nice update if you’re a heavy Themer user. If you do get the update, let us know how you find the new resizing. If you haven’t already got the Themer Beta, you can download it at the Play Store links below.

]]>https://androidspin.com/resizing-matters-themer-app-update-introduces-dynamic-icon-scaling/feed/2Cryten Icon Pack by Viktor Vucinic: Vertumus goes faded in this great icon Packhttps://androidspin.com/cryten-icon-pack-viktor-vucinic-vertumus-goes-faded-great-icon-pack/
https://androidspin.com/cryten-icon-pack-viktor-vucinic-vertumus-goes-faded-great-icon-pack/#respondSun, 16 Feb 2014 03:59:20 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=135943I haven’t been in the icon game for a long time, but when something catches my eye, I like to check it out. That’s exactly what happened when I first saw theÂ Cryten Icon Pack by Viktor Vucinic. Also going by the tag Vertumus, Vucinic’s icon pack goes with a faded, almost Instagram filter-like appearance, which […]

I haven’t been in the icon game for a long time, but when something catches my eye, I like to check it out. That’s exactly what happened when I first saw theÂ Cryten Icon Pack by Viktor Vucinic. Also going by the tag Vertumus, Vucinic’s icon pack goes with a faded, almost Instagram filter-like appearance, which I think works really well with the included wallpapers, and creates a really nice, soft look to your icons which is a stark contrast to the more standard colour saturated icons. Let’s check out what they look like in person:

I have to say this is one of my favourite icon packs so far. As I said in the video, I’m a huge fan of how even the unthemed apps all get the same treatment that the themed ones do so you are never really able to tell which ones are themed or not at a quick glance. That’s obviously helped by the fact that the Cryten icon pack features over 1280+ icons now which does cover a large majority of the mainstream apps. Pair that with 33 minimalistic HD wallpapers and you’ll have one beautiful looking homescreen. Cryten’s full list of features are, as per its Google Play Store page:

]]>https://androidspin.com/cryten-icon-pack-viktor-vucinic-vertumus-goes-faded-great-icon-pack/feed/0Flatastico Icon Pack: We take a look at Samer Zayer’s workhttps://androidspin.com/flatastico-icon-pack-take-look-samer-zayers-work/
https://androidspin.com/flatastico-icon-pack-take-look-samer-zayers-work/#commentsSat, 08 Feb 2014 06:14:17 +0000https://androidspin.com/?p=134227I’m normally not much of an icon‘s man; in fact up until recently, I had still been using stock TouchWiz. But when I saw the Flatastico Icon Pack featured on someone’s homescreen screenshot, I had to have a look. The icon pack is created by Samer Zayer, creator of quite a few themes and other […]

I’m normally not much of an icon‘s man; in fact up until recently, I had still been using stock TouchWiz. But when I saw the Flatastico Icon Pack featured on someone’s homescreen screenshot, I had to have a look. The icon pack is created by Samer Zayer, creator of quite a few themes and other customization paraphenalia; check out Samer’s collection on the Play Store here. His Flatastico icons seem to take a much more pastel colour approach to icons which gives it an almost iOS-vibe. Obviously, that’s where the similarities end. Samer has customized pretty well anything that matters, with new additions incoming regularly. Check out the video I took earlier today to give you a bit more of an idea of what you’re getting in the icon pack:

As I mentioned in the video, the version I reviewed was version 2.2, with version 2.3 added just in the last day or two which added another 50 icons to the pack including Beats Music, CPU-Z and yes, even Flappy Bird. Samer is promising version 3.0 will be coming out soon which will add a massive 200+ icons to the already impressive list; we can’t wait.

The Flatastico Icon Pack is actually on sale at the moment for $0.99, so if you want to jump on this great deal, hit the Play Store page; links are below.